Slotted Bearing Inner Ring for Fatigue-Resistant Load Distribution
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Bearing components in shed forming machines experience material fatigue and premature damage due to repetitive stresses and high loads, leading to reduced service life and increased maintenance costs.
Innovation Solution
A bearing design featuring an inner ring with a slot and material bridge that allows elastic deformation, distributing load across a greater number of rolling elements, reducing stress peaks and material fatigue, while maintaining a compact construction space.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the inner ring is made thicker to reduce material fatigue, then the strength and durability of the bearing is improved, but the weight increases and inertial effects are exacerbated, leading to greater forces at the rolling element level
Solution Approach 1:
The inner ring is segmented by introducing slots that divide the ring structure into separate sections. This segmentation allows the ring to deform elastically under load without requiring increased thickness, thereby maintaining strength while reducing weight and inertial effects.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the structural parameters of the inner ring by introducing slots and material bridges, transforming it from a rigid solid structure to a flexible structure that can elastically deform. This parameter change allows the bearing to withstand loads with thinner, lighter material, reducing inertial effects while maintaining durability.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the inner ring is made rigid to maintain geometric stability, then the structural integrity is improved, but the bearing space requirements increase and load distribution across rolling elements deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The inner ring transitions from a static rigid structure to a dynamic flexible structure that can elastically deform under load. The slots and material bridges enable the ring to adapt its shape during operation, maintaining stability through controlled deformation rather than rigid resistance, thereby reducing the space required for the bearing structure.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the inner ring is made rigid to maintain geometric stability, then the structural integrity is improved, but material fatigue increases due to concentrated loads on fewer rolling elements
Solution Approach 1:
The slots segment the inner ring structure, creating multiple material bridges that independently deform under load. This segmentation allows the load to be distributed across more rolling elements by enabling the ring to ovalize and conform to the load distribution, reducing stress concentrations and material fatigue while maintaining overall structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The introduction of slots fundamentally changes the mechanical parameters of the inner ring, transforming it from a rigid structure to one that exhibits elastic deformation. This parameter change enables the ring to distribute loads more evenly across multiple rolling elements, improving reliability by reducing material fatigue without sacrificing structural stability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The bearing design significantly reduces material fatigue and the risk of premature failure, extending the service life and increasing productivity by distributing loads more evenly across rolling elements.
Implementation Method 1
Thanks to the invention, the inner ring, more precisely the material bridge located between the slot and the peripheral path, deforms elastically so as to ovalize the deformation of the inner ring and thus distribute the load over an Increased number of rolling elements
Data Source
AI summary
Bearing for a shed-forming machine or a system for transmitting movement to the frames of a loom, which has an inner ring, an outer ring and rolling elements. The inner ring is centered on a major axis, has two lateral surfaces normal to the major axis, and defines a circular peripheral path centered on the major axis. The outer ring defines an inner path, which is circular and centered on the main axis. The rolling elements are interposed, radially with respect to the main axis, between the peripheral ring and the inner ring, to guide the outer ring in rotation relative to the inner ring around the main axis. The inner ring has at least one slot, opening onto the two lateral surfaces, extending opposite a portion of the peripheral path, and forms a bridge of material between the slot and the peripheral path.